The Arrangement

What now?

Crystal Sinothando

The car drove on the gravel road and the kids cried silently. One on my lap and the other on my side. I hushed them as I, myself tried not to cry. "So, what now?" Sinokuhle asked, breaking the silence.

"Firstly,  we need to get on a flight to London."

"London? I've never been there. I wonder what it's like."

"Its cold," Scar and I answer simultaneously. "When will we get to the airport?" I ask Scar, we'd been driving for quite some time and I began getting antsy. "We are going to the private airport so it's another two hours. "

"Right. Thanks." I sighed and got comfortable in the seat. I could hear Sinokuhle trying to make conversation with Scar.  I let myself drift off into the abbys. I woke up when we arrived at the airport.

We quickly got on the flight and I got the kids situated in their seats. I'd soon move them when the plane got to cruising altitude. I was quick to fall asleep again. I remembered having Sinokuhle sitting on my right, right besides Zothile. 

When I woke up again, I found that Sinokuhle was sleeping on Scar's lap. The look I gave him made him nervous, "She said she couldn't sleep so I offered my shouldernand one thing led to another." He explained himself.

"Mmmm so you are the one who offered."

"Yes...well, no- yes...uh" Sinokuhle moved on his lap and he sat frozen, like he didn't know what to do. "Can my eyes please unsee this. Thank you" I fixed Kelvin who was drooling on my chest. "I will go put her on the bed."

I nodded and he stood up then walked off with ease, he came back in a few minutes. "Thought she'd give you a hassle."

"She's pretty beat. I'm sure she'll sleep for the entire flight." He sat back in his seat, feet crossed at the ankles and hands on his thighs. "You okay?" I asked him. He seemed nervous, off-ish too. "Yes I am. Why?"

"Nothing much. Just an observation. "

"Hmmm." We sat in silence. "What happened to our plane tickets? I remember quite well that I'd booked three tickets."

"Boss had them refunded."

"Okay..." I wanted to know more but figured that he wouldn't answer me either."I was expecting you to ask why the private and not the public." I shrugged, "I've learnt not to ask questions I haven't been given answers to. "

"True. "

"You know I'm going to London right?" I said after a while.  "Yes. It's in the schedule." He nods as if remembering it off heart.

"Great. Well please greet everyone for me in SA. "

"What do you mean?" I shrugged once more, "I'm staying in London with some people."

"Why was I not looped in?"

"Because you were not part of the plan. Look, I get that you have sworn your life to protecting this family but I have my kids. I can take care of them." I said, feeling emotional. 

"I know you can take care of your children. But its my duty to make sure that both you and the kids are safe. I'm not doing it because I swore my life to it but because I want to." He said. I kept quiet for some time.

"Thank you." Just then, the car stopped moving. "Let's go." I nodded and woke the kids up.  The flight to London was about 9 hours long.

"Welcome to London my loves." I said to the two as I woke them up. "Mmmm sleep.. " Zothile murmured and Kelvin chose to let out a stink bomb. "Really Kelvin?" I picked him up and placed him on the floor. "I got him" Scar picked the sleepy boy up and carried him out.

I did the same with Zothile and we had our luggage taken by some other agents. The weather was cold as always, it was December so it was snowing. The last person in the car was Sinokuhle and that's because she was walking slow.

"Its so beautiful here." Sinokuhle wouldn't stop complementing the scenery. It was refreshing to have someone experience the beauty for a first time. The drive to the estate was  long filled with chatter.

I knocked on the door and Miss Mary opened the door. "Crystal?" I nodded, smiling as tears filled my eyes. "Come here dear child! Oh I've missed you so much. Come in, come in." Scar walked in behind Sino who followed right behind me, he was holding Zothile in his arms as I held Kelvin.

"Mrs Johnson,  Mr Johnson, guess whose here."

"Oh Crystal!" My grandmother said before pulling me in her warm arms. "Oh dearheart I've missed you so much." She held me at arms length and pulled me in again. "Oh enough Margaret. I want to hug my grand child too."

"Pa-pa" We hugged for some time. "Oh dear with the frost outside I'm sure you are cold. Come along now. Mary, get her a cup of coco please. Oh I'm sorry sir, we don't give out donations here. You can go to the shelter, I'm sure they have something for you. " She said that last bit to Scar.

"No, Nana, that's Scar...my uhm...friend. And this is Sino, she's, she's a  close friend too. Now these two bundles here, they are your great grandchildren." As soon as the last word came out of my mouth, she fainted. "Nana!" Miss Mary got a cup of warm water and sugar from the kitchen a we laid Nana on the couch.

"Nan, are you okay?" I checked her breathing and forehead. "Let her sleep. She's been anticipating your return for a long time. Now tell me this, you said these two buckets of joy are our great grandchildren?" I faced my grandfather, "Yes Pa-pa. They are."

"Care to explain over a spot of tea?" 

"Of course. But first, where can we put our bags?"

"Oh don't worry about that. Jonathan has taken care of that already. Now Come along, we have much to talk about." We sat in the living room, the warmth from the fireplace brought a sense of comfort to me. "Now, explain to me how I became a great grandfather.

"When I was in high school, I fell in love. It definitely wasn't love at first sight like with you and Nana. We fought a lot. I bullied him but we still fell in love..." I had about 4 cups of coco before Nana woke up. Around the middle of my explanation, Scar stood ever so unruly and walked out, taking about 'Needing a smoke.'

"So this man, where is he now?"

"Back home. I wanted to visit you guys and he has businesses to run so he chose to stay." I answered without a doubt. Sinokuhle let out a cough, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just...a little tired is all. May I go rest?"

"Oh, sure. Here let me walk you out." I stood up, "I'll be back Pa-pa." We walked out and down the hallway. "Why'd you lie?" She asked me

"What do you mean?" I opened the door, "After you. "

"You said that bhuti chose to stay at home. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but home is in South Africa. Not Cuba.  So why did you lie?"

"I don't want my family involved in this mess. If lying will keep them safe, then that's what I'll do. Goodnight" I closed the door and leaned on it.

Dear Lord,
Tell me what
to do now.